Susan Bassett ’79, associate vice president and director of Intercollegiate Athletics and Campus Recreation at Ithaca College, announced her plans to retire at the end of the 2024-25 academic year.
The announcement was made by the college’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics on Feb. 6. Bassett returned to the college in 2013 where she assumed her current position. She said via Ithaca College Athletics that her time working at her alma mater was a blessing in helping to put the college’s athletics department on the national radar.
“What a journey it has been,” Bassett said in the announcement. “I am grateful for gaining valuable experience and friendships through service with the NCAA and the organization Women Leaders in Sports.”
During her tenure, Bassett brought significant changes to the college. She began notable fundraising campaigns that brought great improvements to athletics facilities like Butterfield Stadium, where a new retaining wall was installed in 2017 and synthetic playing surface added in 2023. In Spring 2025 a new outdoor track and field facility will undergo construction for use by intercollegiate athletics and the community.
Also under Bassett’s leadership, the college’s athletics department has finished in the top 20 in the Learfield Directors’ Cup seven times, including two top ten finishes in back-to-back years.
President La Jerne Cornish said in the announcement that Bassett’s commitment to the development of student-athletes and growth of the college is unmatched.
“Susan Bassett is a trailblazer and an absolute treasure in the world of college athletics,” Cornish said. “She is an inspiring role model to countless student athletes, many of whom she coached to championship seasons, and she has been recognized nationally by her peers for elevating entire athletic programs at three different institutions.”
Going into her final semester at the helm, Bassett said the time had come for her to pass the torch to the next athletic director of the college.
“Finishing my career where it all began, Ithaca College, is a gift beyond any words I could summon,” Bassett said. “After 12 years at IC and 45 years in intercollegiate athletics, it is time for me to move on to the next chapter of my life, taking a new road beyond South Hill.”
According to the announcement, the search for the next athletic director will begin this semester, with the vision of appointing a new director by July 1.
